The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Carex phyllocephala and given the cultivar name of ‘Spark Plug’. Carex phyllocephala is in the family Cyperaceae. The new cultivar originated from a whole plant tissue culture mutation of Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’. It is an excellent choice for use in a moist, light shade location in a small garden.
Compared to Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’, the new cultivar is half the height with a more compact habit and shorter, narrower variegated leaves.
The new Carex phyllocephala is uniquely distinguished by:                1. variegated leaves with a dark center stripes and white to cream margins,        2. small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit,        3. good vigor.        
The new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.